The Grenada gazette., 1887-11-19
~ Az ~ T)sg MeART.

80 - =. - ens'
WAst rig clsvsasad n /, ~ Ab.rl
oeatinantal Mes ~ Wennsa. &
1 am convinced that the popular ver.
diet y in this case not the correct one,
and Il these lines have an obj@t. that
object lies in the direction Of contri-
button toward an effort to show that
the truly sentimental man or woman
has the best preparation toward the
practical affairs of life.
As usual. philosophy is at fault The
word sentimental has suffered as much
detection from its simple. real mean
ing as has the word practical. The
iatter has come to stand for things
reai' the former for things unreal; OF,
If more liberal minds deny the strict
truth Of this designation, they will
scarcely attempt to reject u modifica-
ton OF it by which it is claimed that to
follow the practical affairs of life is
to follow the things which are Ger.
talnly and surely the remunerat-
I'VE things OF life, the things about
which we actually know. and whose
value is real because it is in things
seen and proven. While to follow
things sentimental is to pursue a shad-
ow, or at least thing which, if at
tained, does not respond to the de-
mands Of a busy and effective human
career.
Nothing could be further from the
logic of human experience. Every
achievement has its beginning in the
mind. The Buddhists were right. All
reality is in the thought. Here is the
root OF the deed. 1t is the man of true
sentiment only who has behind him
and before him an effective human ca.
reer.
A good mother was lamenting to me
the other day that her daughter, a
charming girl Of sixteen, was so un.
practical. As an illustration Of this
quality, she repeated to me the ques-
ton which her daughter had put to her
in all good faith and sincerity: "Howl
does person know when room has
been sweptP' This young woman
needed to apply Goethe's maxim. She
needed perception. For the produc-
ton of Faust" or the sweeping a
room, the same sort of practicability is
required. ] do not know what is to be
done with her.. Her mother desires
that she shall become occupied with
the practical affairs of life, but l am
not sure that the mothers ideas Of the
practical are sharp enough to strike at
the root Of the matter 10 necon.e
truly and effectively practical one must
see straight and feel right. 1t is
matter of pure perception and proper
sentiment. When this right action of
head and heart are obtained. the doing
will follow and, whether book is to
be written or room is to be swept, the
thing in hand will be properly classed
among the practical affairs of life.
After this it is all a matter of preoc-
cupation. If the preoccupation be an
affair, as in the case Of my absent friend
Of pure sentiment, i. G., an a6aiye du
ceur, it will, as in her case, deserve
classification among the as"" =, af-
fairs Of life; her vast expenditure Of
'pure sentiment was accompanied by
a vast expenditure of pure perception,
and prompt energy and good money to
the infinite betterment of all con-
cerned. Had her preoccupation been
the same, but without the rightness OF
sentiment and purity of perception, !
this affection Of hers would have re-
suited in mere waste of feeling and
would deserve classification among
those wretched so-callcd afaires da
c0ur which can never arrive at the dig.
nifty of the practical affairs of life.
The mother of the impractical young
girl says, and not without Il degree Of
satisfaction. that her daughter (who {
AN not understand how person can
lnow when room has been swept) is
'all for books" Very we'll. That is
Ter preoccupation. Now, if to this |
'reoccupation she brings right scnti.
nent and pure perception, her preoccu. I
'ation with books will result practi. |
ally. If she has these she will know {
he difference between clean and un. a
lean in the carpet of n room or the n
haracter of a book. But l greatly t
ear that healthy sentiment and clear c
exception are not at present backed +
y any sense Of personal responsibility h
l this young girls mind; and if so, a
he has a great deal to learn before the 81
lings which concern her can be said L
} belong to the practical affairs Of life. tt
The root of all this which grows into e.
busy and effective human career lies h
| the sense of duty which develops per- III
option and sentiment into action, t.
hich determines preoccupation, and 81
hich brings out Of all a performance
hich can be truly classed as among III
lie practical affairs of life. Let this be y,
e possession of the young girl and III u,
10 will become u practical woman; let ~